The Harley's Joker: The Battle
by DesiringPirates
Summary: The battle between man and demon.


Title: The Harley's Joker: The Battle

Rated: PG

Author: desiringpirates

Summary: The battle between man and demon.

A/N: The sorta- sequel to a previous story, The Harley's Joker.

**THE JOKER**

Herminia. Her-min- i- a. The name rolled off his tongue like battery acid. Even though he was quite content to be in love at the moment, it was the simple fact that he had no choice. Joker didn't like it if he was not in control.

His still stinging fingers flexed, itching to wrap around someone's throat. Usually it would be Harley's but now it was like he couldn't touch her in that way. His heart stopped him.

He hated being stopped, and he knew he hated these feelings. Batman was right. It made him weak. Harley could twist him around her finger now just as easily as he could with her.

They were equals. It made him sick, but happy. Things were confusing, so he decided to do something simple: revenge.

Maybe he would thank the demon if he was feeling generous. Maybe.

**THE BACKSTORY**

Five years ago, the Batman was in Metropolis. The Justice League had just feed a dozen half-demons who were being sold in a slave trade. As he was using his jet to cart some of the demon's to their home, he caught them beating a woman- seemingly to death. Even though he just saved them he had no qualms in ending that quickly.

It turned out that the woman, a beautiful bushy-haired half-demon, had laid down with one of their captors. The captor was promising her that he would find a way to save her and her kin, but no one would believe her.

The woman said that she loved and trusted the captor.

When the League heard from an anonymous tip that there was demon trafficking, they decided to shut it down. During their bust, they had found one of the ring leaders dead- killed in execution style.

He must have been the one to betray the team. Now Batman wondered if he was the same man who promised to save everyone. It was just too much of a coincidence.

Batman brought the bloodied woman to the front of the jest next to him and shut a partition, so the other refugees couldn't bother them.

"Thank you." She said, in a surprisingly strong voice. "I owe you a favor."

"You owe me nothing." Batman countered, grateful though that she offered.

"I insist. You might need one in the future."

The Batman gave a smile. "Alright. I'll save it for a rainy day."

"If you do, call my name. Remember it. Herminia."

**THE CALLING**

Bruce Wayne painfully sat down in his chair. It had been nine months since his fight with the Joker, yet he still felt like it happened just the other day.

The Joker had been nearly successful in killing him.

For three months after the fight, Bruce had been in a coma. Nightwing had found him floating down Gotham River, using a GPS locator to track him. Knowing that he needed a hospital, he quickly shed Bruce odd his Batsuit and called 9-1-1.

When he woke up, it was still another week of him going in and out of conscience. Then months of painful physical therapy, trying to learn how to walk, eat, even go to the bathroom on his own.

It was humiliating.

It was infuriating.

Bruce fixated on revenge. He wanted the Joker to hurt, and he wanted to be the one to hurt him. Maybe, just maybe, even kill him.

And then he remembered.

"Herminia."

It took her a moment before she appeared, in a flash of lightening.

"You've grown stronger." Bruce commented, staring at her threatening figure.

"I do not know you. How do you know my name?"

Bruce held up his hands in surrender and winced at the pain in his back. "I'm Batman."

"You lie. Batman is a strong warrior."

Bruce grinned. "Who got beat. Look around this cave if you want, if it will prove who I am."

After a few minutes of exploring, the beautiful half demon stood in front of the broken man.

"How can I help you?"

**THE SEARCH**

The Joker kissed his love goodbye and told her not to worry. He would be gone for a couple of days, but he will return. Joker promised, then hugged her again. Then Harley regrettably let him go.

He left their cozy hidey-hole and went to the scene of the crime- the warehouse he was in when that demon cursed him. After an hour, he walked around the empty building, his boots clacking against the floor.

Joker started humming, looking around for a sign of the she-beast.

"All around the mullberry bush..." The Joker stopped right where she had him pinned. "The monkey chased the weasel..."

It had taken a couple of days and a lot of asking around, but Joker found out how to find the half-demon. He liked to call it the Rumplestiltskin effect.

"Herminia..." he sand, waiting for any sign of her.

She came in a flash of lightening, the wind that shouldn't exist inside the building picking up, almost knocking the man down.

"What do you want, clown?"

"Pop goes the weasel."

"What are you babbling about?" Herminia felt the danger she was in crackle through the air like her bolts of lightening.

Joker kept smiling at her. He was utterly silent and deadly.

"Why have you called me here? I made sure you would never remember me."

"I had a little rat tell me who you are, to gloat to me how he could torture me. "This is all about revenge." Joker put his hands in his pockets. "And since he deserves special treatment, I decided to get my rage out over this little matter on you."

Herminia sneered. "You can try vermin."

**THE LOVE HE FOUND**

Harley was in a funk. Her Puddin' loved her and it was actual true love. The past week had been amazing- just the two of them, talking, making love- it was like a vacation from the chaos their lives are.

Now thoughts of revenge towards that demon plagued his mind, upset over what had happened to him. Harley was upset that he was upset about it, because it was the best thing to ever happen to her. Now she was afraid that if her lover were to find the woman and detroy her- like he planned- everything will go back to the way it was before.

She didn't want that. Hemming and hawing, knowing that her Angel will be mad if she were to interfere, she began wondering if she should go stop him. Harley stepped once, faltered, then stepped again. She sat down. She stood up.

Harley screamed in frustration. Then she made up her mind. "My Puddin' loves me!" The blonde grabbed her grey bag and slung it over her shoulder. "And it will not. Stop."

**THE FIGHT**

The demon was the first to move. Unable to take the suspense any longer, she bounded towards the clown and went to tackle him. The Joker took one step to the right and let her catch herself on her feet. He laughed, she scowled.

"You got lucky."

"I'm good at luck. I'm also good at preparing."

Herminia pounced again and Joker side stepped her attack again.

"Did you know most women attack out of anger? They are more likely to lash out when upset." Joker told her, watching the demon breathe heavily. Then the clown surprised her by sitting indian-style on the ground. "I challenge you."

Herminia felt a violent pull in her core. She could not deny a challenge.

"It is going to be hard to fight with you sitting."

"I challenge you to a staring contest." Joker held out his hands in mock commarederie. "First one to blink loses."

"Loses what?"

"Their life."

Herminia fought the urge to gasp. "You are insane."

"Certifiably." Joker's ever-present grin never left his face. "Dare to take me on?"

Herminia looked around for any traps. A booby trap of any sorts- trick string, laughing gas- but she saw nothing. Reluctantly she looked down at the man.

"First one to blink dies."

"Before their eyes even open." Joker agreed, taking out a gun and setting it on the floor in front of him. "One shot between the eyes usually kills."

"One more question before this begins. Do you really hate me so much that you would kill me?"

"Yes." Joker answered her without taking a pause. "Mainly because I hate everyone equally."

"Except your girl."

Joker's eyes flashed in anger. "Let me make this clear. I love Harley Quinn. I do. I hate that I love her. I hate that I need her. Feelings are confusing to me. They are unneccesarily neccesities which can drive a person insane. If I thought my mind was sick before, well not it can't compare. I am consumed with thoughts of her. I want to make her happy. It is beyond distraction. It interferes with my work. I can not have that."

Herminia nodded. "I understand you in that sense. Love is... unneccesary."

"Yet it is a wonderful thing." Joker concluded.

"You do know I did almost nothing to you? The love you had for her was already in your heart." Herminia crossed her arms.

"Be that as it may." The mad man motioned for her to sit down.

"Goodbye clown. You are going to lose." Herminia sighed and sat down.

"If I do, I'm going out with a fight."

**THE CLIMAX**

Now the heat was on. Harley poked her head in many places, looking for her Puddin'. In all places she didn't see him; she even stopped off at the Penguin's club and asked- kindly- for information. No one knew where he was.

So she began deducing what she knew of him, which surprised her- after all these years she could pick up on his traits and tricks. Harley knew him better than anyone.

Sadly there was a lot about her Mister J that she didn't know. She use to always like the surprise, whether good or bad, but now things have changed. And she wasn't sure if that was going to change as well.

It was too confusing and she didn't like being confused.

Gotham was a big city. That was the reason it was so easy to hide. But Mister J didn't like to hid for too long. He liked the lime light too much.

Harley just had to wait. Joker will come out. Then she can...

... she did not know what she would do.

(J)(H)(J)(H)

There was silence. Herminia could not even hear the world outside. She wasn't even sure if the bleached man in front of her was breathing. She reached out to touch him.

"What are you doing?" He asked gruffly, making her jump. Unfortunately for him, she did not blink.

"I... wanted to make sure you were real."

He laughed with his eyes staying wide open. It was unsettling. "I ask myself that everyday." Joker stretched, his green eyes focused on the demon's.

She resisted the urge to move. She was beginning to feel restless.

"Just blink and surrender. It will be quick- maybe." The clown promised.

"Why is this so important to you?" Herminia asked, her eyes glittering with anger.

"I told you. Revenge."

"I think you are trying to save face."

"You don't know me at all." Joker seemed offended. "Of course I am!"

Herminia smiled. "You don't have to be embarrased. Love is a powerful thing. It gives you power."

"But that is so dorky!" He joked, then an amazing thing happened.

The demon blinked. In a flash, the Joker grabbed the pistol off the floor and held it pointed towards her head, cocked and ready. She was fearful, but accepted her fate.

"This won't change you back."

The Joker was not grinning. "I know." Then he pulled the trigger.

**THE ENDING**

It was morning when he walked into their home, tired and hungry. His love jumped up from the couch and threw her arms around his shoulders, as if afraid something had changed.

Nothing had.

He wrapped his strong arms around her wasit and held tightly, whispering love poems into her ear.


End file.
